American ATP legend Andre Agassi recently revealed an interesting story about meeting his wife, Steffi Graf, for the first time. The eight-time Grand Slam champion mentioned how he grabbed the opportunity to leave a special birthday card with his phone number for Graf.
The incident unfolded after both Agassi and Graf lifted the singles title at the French Open in 1999.
Andre Agassi remembers the ice-breaking meeting with his wife Steffi Graf in 1999
After almost 23 years of tying the knot with Graf, Agassi opened up about how he used to stalk her back in the days of their professional careers. In a recent episode of the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the 55-year-old remembered his first victory at Roland Garros. While narrating how his then-coach Brad Gilbert planned the practice sessions, he also unveiled the story behind meeting Graf for the first time.
“That was the first year they cancelled the dance and uh yeah I was just bummed about that. I tried for a few years wasn’t worthy enough but then we won the French together in ’99, maybe gave me the confidence, maybe I’m worthy now,” he said (from 1:32:05 onwards).
He later explained how winning the French Open in 1999 helped him with the confidence to make a move.
“So, it was her birthday, and I knew that, and so does the world, but I was flying back to London, and I was like, I wanted to just accidentally run into her, and accidentally give her a birthday card that I made, and accidentally leave my phone number on. And so, Brad would schedule practices like, just, it was simple, it just, here go graph plus one. And then I stalked her the whole tournament, so I’d show up early, and I’d act like I stretched,” he added.
Steffi Graf Unveils the Rule She and Husband Andre Agassi Follow Amid the Pickleball Journey
Despite marking an end to their professional tennis careers, Agassi and Graf continued their sporting journey as Pickleball stars. Months after winning the Pickleball Slam for the second consecutive time, Graf became vocal about a rule that they both follow while practicing.
“We don’t play against each other. We prefer to be on the same side of the court. We like that pickleball is a community-oriented sport. People who play pickleball also improve quickly. We really want to spread the game. When we’re not traveling, we practice a lot of pickleball. Since we both play, it’s fun to do it together,” she said, in an interview with BILD.
According to the former WTA pro, the rule not only helps them hone their Pickleball skills but also keeps their bond stronger.
